American toy giant Mattel has recently partnered with an Israeli startup company to bring its iconic Barbie doll and other leading brands to digital life, the Jewish Business News reported Wednesday. According to the report, the multinational, California-based toy manufacturer has teamed up with StartApp, an Israeli developer of advertising platforms for mobile application and websites, to create a digital presence for Barbie and other toys, including Thomas the Tank Engine and Fireman Sam. "We are exceptionally excited to join forces with Mattel to help them reimagine their iconic brands for today's world," Gil Dudkiewicz, StartApp's co-founder and CEO said in a statement. "Through this partnership, we will draw upon our extensive experience in the mobile industry to expand on Mattel's efforts to bring their brands to a new and exponentially more connected generation." Mattel has reportedly asked StartApp to catapult Barbie into the digital age, with applications, avatars, emojis, memes, gifs, and other online instruments. StartApp has already launched two applications for Barbie and Hot Wheels miniature cars for iPhones and iPads, the report said. StartApp was founded in 2010 by Dudkiewicz and Ran Avidan "with the goal of consistently developing and providing the most innovative and effective mobile solutions for our partners," according to the company's website. The company "currently partners with over 220,000 applications with a user base of over 477 million monthly active users worldwide." Now headquartered in New York City, StartApp maintains offices in Tel Aviv, San Francisco, Shanghai, Beijing, Moscow, and Sao Paolo. Its Israeli research and development center employs 150 people. Mattel Inc. reported its worldwide gross sales rose 3% in the fourth quarter of 2015, with overall annual revenue of $5.7 billion. In 2014, Mattel ranked 403rd on the Fortune 500 list.
US toy giant teams with Israeli startup to give Barbie digital life
Mattel toy company has asked Israel's StartApp to create "digital presence" for iconic doll and other leading brands • "We are exceptionally excited to join forces with Mattel to help them reimagine their iconic brands for today's world," StartApp says.
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